Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2016

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, low back disability, and acquired psychiatric disorder. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, lower extremity radiculopathy, and respiratory disorder (COPD). The acquired psychiatric disorder claim is addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating for gout are being remanded due to inadequate medical opinions in the original decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination and readjudication of the claims.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar spine disability was denied. The RO assigned a 20 percent rating effective January 2, 2009.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including additional examinations and medical opinions to address the appellant's claims of service connection for a chronic low back disorder, left knee DJD, and diabetes mellitus type II with associated disabilities. The issues related to TDIU are also being held in abeyance.

The Veteran's ankle, knee, hip, shoulder, hand, and back disabilities are not service-connected. Early onset peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities is also not service-connected.

The Board denied the service member's claim for service connection for a low back disorder and his claim for entitlement to Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) as there was no evidence showing that his current condition is related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar spine degenerative disc and joint disease, as well as right lower extremity radiculopathy, were denied by the Board. The initial rating for the lumbar spine condition remains at 10 percent, while the rating for the radiculopathy is also at 10 percent prior to November 2, 2015, and 20 percent since that date.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, as secondary to his service-connected bilateral pes planus, was granted. His claim for an increased rating for bilateral pes planus was also granted and he is now rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine has been rated at 20 percent since July 13, 2012, due to incapacitating episodes with a total duration of two to four weeks per year or muscle spasm resulting in abnormal gait or spinal contour.

The Board found that the Veteran's low back disorder is not causally or etiologically due to service. The examiner noted that the Veteran had a history of back pain prior to enlistment and during service, but no additional disability was superimposed upon his defects.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a videoconference hearing and an examination of his low back disability. The issues of service connection for sleep apnea, prostate disability, and erectile dysfunction are also being addressed.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of evidence related to his service-connected lumbar spine disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's low back disability, including an annular tear at the L5-S1 disc level and degenerative joint disease at L4-L5 and L5-S1 levels, is found to be related to his combat injury during service. Service connection for these conditions is granted.

The appeal is being remanded for further evaluation of the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability and left lower extremity radiculopathy, as well as a VA examination to assess functional limitations caused by his disabilities. The TDIU claim will also be reconsidered.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been presented to reopen the claim for service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disability. The Veteran's current disability is more likely than not related to his in-service football injury.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative spondylosis of the low back status post laminectomy is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and consideration of additional medical evidence.

The Board has remanded the case for scheduling a Travel Board hearing and issuing a Statement of the Case (SOC) regarding the effective date assigned for the grant of service connection for a fracture of the right distal tibia. The Veteran's claims are not fully resolved.